Session 5 : Determination Introduction Information

Introduction Information :Sometimes life can get hard, things happen that are unexpected and sometimes it can feel like giving up is the only option, but there is always the option to keep going, to stand strong and work through the hard bits of life. This session looks at the theme of determination and how we can keep going to achieve. Game : Huddle Up

Today we are going to be looking at the theme of determination. The Olympic athletes that will be competing in London this year have all put in hours and hours of training, they all want to be the absolute best that they can. They are all determined to win today we are going to look at things that are worth fighting for in our lives. Game : Count to 20

The aim is to count to 20 with different people shouting out a number, starting at one working up to 20, if two people say the same number then you have to start again.

Activity :Video clip

This video clip is of Tom Daley who is 14 years old, and is an Olympic diver.

Talk :
Abebe Bikila was a two-time Olympic marathon champion from Ethiopia; he was born in 1932. He wasn’t meant to participate in the Olympics in 1960 but he was added to the Ethiopian Olympic team for the Marathon at the last moment, as the plane to Rome was about to leave, as a replacement for Wami Biratu, who had broken his ankle in a soccer match. Adidas, the shoe sponsor at the 1960 Summer Olympics, had few shoes left when Bikila went to try out shoes and he ended up with a pair that didn’t fit comfortably, so he couldn't use them. A couple of hours before the race, Bikila decided to run barefoot, the way he'd trained for the race. Bikila won in a record time of 2:15:16.2, becoming the first Sub-Saharan African to win an Olympic gold medal. After the race, when Bikila was asked why he had run barefoot, he replied, “I wanted the world to know that my country, Ethiopia, has always won with determination and heroism."

Bakila was determined to win even though he didn’t have shoes, and he did!

In 1969 Bikila was involved in a car accident in which he damaged his spine and this left him wheelchair bound for life. Later he said

"Men of success meet with tragedy. It was the will of God that I won the Olympics, and it was the will of God that I met with my accident. I accepted those victories as I accept this tragedy. I have to accept both circumstances as facts of life and live happily."

This is amazing, even after Bakila had this tragedy happen to him he was determined to carry on with life and live a happy life. It must have been so hard for him but he was determined and he didn’t give up.

There is a bible verse (2 Chronicles 15:7(a)) which says “but as for you, be strong and do not give up,” God knows that life can get tough and sometimes it seems like we will never be able to achieve what we are striving for but God says ‘keep going, be strong, don’t give up.’

· Invite two volunteers to enter the circle, they must stand with one foot off the ground, the aim is to push the other person out of the circle of off balance.

· The winner is the person who stays standing on one leg within the circle.

Summarise : DeterminationRecap the key message of the session and invite the group to the next session which is the mini Sporting Games session. You could invite them to come wearing appropriate sporting clothing if you wanted to.